AND ANOTHER tyrant bites the dust. Except this time, unlike the demise of Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi, this death appears natural.

Kim Jong Il, North Korea’s dictator for life, died of heart failure over the weekend. Thousands of long-suffering North Koreans hit the streets in apparent mourning — or maybe it was silent rejoicing, as the lack of tears was obvious in news photos.

Kim’s death at the age of 69 could trigger an internal power struggle. That’s why neighboring South Korea, America’s ally, went on high alert.

Many tyrants and would-be tyrants know that one of the best ways to solidify power and shut up your critics is to go on the warpath. Given North Korea’s belligerent nature, that’s always a possibility — even on a good day.

Kim’s country is one of the poorest in the world, with mass starvation always right around the corner. In true Cold War fashion, what resources it has goes to build up the military. That’s one reason Kim and his late father, Kim Il Sung, kept power for so long.

In one way, however, Kim’s death comes at an inopportune time. The Associated Press reported that North Korea has agreed to put its nuclear ambitions on hold in exchange for a large donation of vitamins and “high-powered” protein biscuits from the United States. In other words, it’s trading nukes for nutrition bars to feed people.

Such a swap fueled speculation that North Korea might come back to the table with South Korea, Japan, the U.S., China and Russia and discuss militarization and other regional security matters. That’s a good thing. But with “Dear Leader” Kim gone from the picture, who knows what will happen.

Little is known about Kim’s successor, the baby-faced Kim Jong Un, who’s twenty-something and the late dictator’s third son. But don’t be surprised if he’s a carbon copy of his father, who was a carbon copy of his father. The nuts don’t fall far from the tree.